Cuban Gracial hits two more homers in Japan

HAVANA.- Cuban ballplayer Yurisbel Gracial hit two home runs today, thus amounting three in the last two matches, during the of the regular stage in the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB).

According to the NPB official website, Gracial, who batted third in the line-up of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, first blasted a three-run homer in the very first frame to then hit another one in the ninth but this time with only one teammate on base for his squad, which finally beat 9-6 the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

The day before, the outstanding Cuban utility had achieved his first homer in NPB after being hired by the Hawks last February.

Now, he has batting average of .340 (18 hits in 53 AB), with three homers and 9 RBIs in the tough NPB Pacific League.

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, franchise in which also play Cubans Alfredo Despaigne (OF/DH), Livan Moinelo (LHP) and switch-hitter Oscar Colas, the latter is in the farm system, appear third in the standings in the Pacific League with 55 wins and 49 losses, behind the Seibu Lions (64-42) and the Fighters (57-50), in that order.